College football is back – sort of. Spring football is the imitation crab meat of college football, but it’s better than the alternative: no football at all.

Two months after Alabama beat Georgia for the national championship, teams from across the Football Bowl Subdivision are reconvening on practice fields and inside cold-weather bubbles to begin preparations for the 2018 season.

USA TODAY Sports’ overview of what to expect this spring from each FBS league continues with the independent programs: Army, Brigham Young, Massachusetts, New Mexico State, Notre Dame and newcomer Liberty.

Brigham Young

OK, who’s the quarterback? There are four options: senior Tanner Mangum, junior Beau Hodge, sophomore Joe Critchlow and true freshman Zach Wilson. Mangum won’t see any live action this spring, while the remaining threesome has split snaps in early practices. What does this mean for the Cougars? For one, that Kalani Sitake won’t be naming a starter any time soon. It’s also not totally unexpected, given BYU’s abysmal play at the position last fall and the arrival of a new offensive coordinator in former LSU assistant Jeff Grimes.

It’s now or never for Mangum, who had a dream start to his career as a freshman in 2015 yet has struggled in the past two seasons. Critchlow and Hodge took snaps last fall and were equally ineffective. So that’s led to a scenario this spring where Wilson, four months removed from graduating high school, has an opportunity to impress Sitake and Grimes to the point where BYU begins to entertain the idea of handing the reins to a true freshman during a crucial season. Is Sitake willing to take that chance?

Massachusetts

What about the tight end? Mark Whipple has himself a quarterback in Virginia Tech transfer Andrew Ford, who tossed 22 touchdowns against just four interceptions last fall for the Minutemen while completing a hair above 63% of his attempts. But the team may shift its go-to lineup without All-America tight end Adam Breneman, who made 64 grabs in his final season. It’s likely that UMass will phase out that position – as a top target in the passing game, though not as blockers – and focus more on a solid top tier at receiver. It’s a promising group.

It’s led by senior Andy Isabella, who cracked the 1,000-yard mark in 2017, followed by junior Sadiq Palmer. While other position groups may draw more attention during the spring, including a nearly rebuilt defensive line, Whipple is focused on the development of two sophomores, Jessie Britt and Brennon Dingle, and whether that pair can join Isabella and Palmer to give UMass a legitimate top four at receiver to spread out opposing defenses.

Notre Dame

How good is this secondary? In theory, the change in defensive coordinator from Mike Elko to Clark Lea shouldn’t be too drastic, as Lea – a protégé of Elko’s – runs a similar scheme, particularly in the secondary. That’s good news for this group, which after making a nice leap in pass defense last fall returns enough bodies and experience to potentially be one of the better units in the country. There’s good depth at cornerback, where the Irish can team established starter Julian Love with a number of options – Nick Watkins, Shaun Crawford, Troy Pride and a few incoming recruits, most of the high-profile variety.

And the safety position lands an influx of speed and talent in Navy transfer Alohi Gilman, who could push returning starter Nick Coleman into a backup role at free safety. Simply adding Gilman to the established core of contributors on the back end helps to give Notre Dame a level of depth not many teams across the FBS can match. On paper, at least.

SPRING GAME DATES

(Liberty and New Mexico State will not hold a traditional spring game.)

No. 3 Ohio State.
The Buckeyes will lose a number of major players to the NFL, but the inherent talent base will keep Urban Meyer and his team among the nation’s elite.
(Running back J.K. Dobbins) Matthew Emmons, USA TODAY Sports

No. 8 Washington.
Chris Petersen’s track record should have the Huskies optimistic about their chances to improve on a 10-win finish in 2017 and carry the flag for the Pac-12 Conference.
(Coach Chris Petersen) Mark J. Rebilas,USA TODAY Sports

No. 10 Michigan State.Michigan State’s bounce-back 2017 season paints a bright picture for 2018, with an offense built around quarterback Brian Lewerke and a defense that returns the wide majority of this year’s main contributors.(Linebacker Joe Bachie) Mike Carter, Mike Carter-USA TODAY Sports

No. 12 Stanford.
Hopes do hinge on Bryce Love’s decision regarding the NFL, but the Cardinal will get better play at quarterback and bring back each of their four leading receivers.
(Offensive lineman Walker Little) Jake Roth, USA TODAY Sports

No. 13 Auburn.
An issue is the Tigers’ schedule, which includes first-half dates with Washington, LSU and Mississippi State, and road games in November against Georgia and Alabama.
(Quarterback Jarrett Stidham) Dale Zanine, USA TODAY Sports

No. 15 Notre Dame.
There is experience back at key spots, including quarterback, and the schedule is on paper one of the friendliest in recent program history.
(Quarterback Brandon Wimbush) Sergio Estrada, Sergio Estrada-USA TODAY Sports

No. 16 Michigan.
2018 could be the year to crack the upper echelon, especially given the Wolverines’ defense, but that’s only half the battle. Can Harbaugh find a quarterback?
(Defensive lineman Rashan Gary) Brad Mills, USA TODAY Sports

No. 19 LSU
This is a top-10 team in pure talent, as is always the case. Whether this current coaching staff can get the Tigers into that class remains up for debate.
(Running back Derrius Guice) Matt Stamey, USA TODAY Sports

No. 20 Kansas State
It will be a pretty typical bunch of Wildcats: physical on offense, explosive in the running game, underrated in the front seven and opportunistic on special teams.
(Coach Bill Snyder) Casey Sapio, Casey Sapio-USA TODAY Sports

No. 21 Florida Atlantic.
The offense will have taken even firmer hold and the defense will get a nice influx of talent to keep the Owls at the top of Conference USA.
(Quarterback Jason Driskel) Steve Mitchell, USA TODAY Sports

No. 23 Oklahoma State.
The Cowboys are not a dark-horse Playoff contender but definitely are a threat to take eight or nine games during the regular season. It won’t always be a smooth ride, however.
(Running back Justice Hill) Jasen Vinlove, USA TODAY Sports

No. 24 Iowa State.
After breaking through in a big way this past fall, coach Matt Campbell has Iowa State destined to become an even bigger thorn in the sides of the established programs in the Big 12.
(Tight end Chase Allen) Reese Strickland, USA TODAY Sports